Tuesday, April 5, 2011

10:53 PM

Chris Abele pledged tonight to work with other local officials in a brief victory speech at an old-style beer-hall at the Pabst Brewery site.

“If there was one constant throughout the campaign, it was the need for change,” Abele said to an energetic crowd of supporters. “More of the same is always going to get us what we've gotten.”

Abele used the location of the speech to illustrate his goals for his tenure as county executive.

“I wanted to be here not only because it is a great reminder of what Milwaukee was, but perhaps to inspire us,” said Abele. He went on to explain that Pabst represents an era where Milwaukeeans were proud of their city's status as an industrial powerhouse.

Abele believes that only through unity among county leaders will these goals be met.

“I will enthusiastically take any opportunity to work with Representative Stone to advance the interest of this county,” Abele said of his opponent. Abele stressed that unlike former County Executive Scott Walker, he does not “see the Mayor as a political enemy.”

Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett shared similar hopes with the crowd, saying of Abele, “Chris is the type of leader that brings people together rather than finding ways to divide them,” adding with a laugh, “at a personal level I'm very happy to be at a victory party.”

The enthusiastic crowd enjoyed free beer, sausage and cheese well after Abele was the projected winner, a fact not lost on Abele.